SUMMER 2019 • ISSUE 2
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Diving IN Rice County dive team provides vital service throughout the region.
Bait & Tackle End of an era at Nagel’s Live Bait.
Fleur-de-lis
100 Years & COunting
State Bank of Faribault and the Carlander family celebrate milestone in 2019.
contents 6 To the rescue
As the area’s only dive team, Rice
County provides a vital service throughout the region.
12 1919-2019
State Bank of Faribault celebrates 100 years.
22 Student synergy
Faribault Lutheran develops leaders with multi-grade interaction.
28 Spring has sprung
Capturing signs of spring in Faribault.
34 Bait & tackle
The end of an era at Nagel’s Live Bait.
39 Camp Faribault: A footnote of local World War II history
German POWs helped plug the labor shortage in fields and canning factory.
43 ‘The helpful place’
Joe Donahue brings a spirit of service to Faribault business.
46 Experience Faribault Upcoming events.
on the cover:
Siblings Matthew Carlander, Kim Koepke and John R. Carlander are the third generation of Carlanders to run the State Bank of Faribault. The bank, celebrates its 100th anniversary in December. (Suzanne Rook/Faribault Daily News)
Deep pink crab apple blossoms frame the front entrance of the Rice County Courthouse. The blossoms, which typically appear in mid to late May, last only a few days. (Suzanne Rook/ Faribault Daily News)
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This issue of Fleur de Lis is delivered to all subscribers of Faribault Daily News for the low cost of $1.00 per issue, deducted upon delivery from your account balance. If you decide it’s not for you, you can opt out of future issues by contacting customer service at 507-333-3111 or crolling@faribault.com. Non-subscribers can purchase copies of Fleur de Lis for $2.00 each.
publisher:
Chad Hjellming
managing editor: Suzanne Rook
regional director of magazines & events: Ginny Bergerson
regional director of advertising: Mark Nelson
media consultants: CariAnna Chaney Allison Davis
designer:
Kate Townsend-Noet Send story ideas to:
Suzanne Rook at Fleur-de-lis srook@faribault.com Volume 2, Issue 2
Fleur-de-lis 2019 Published Spring 2019 by: Faribault Daily News 514 Central Avenue Faribault, MN 55021 faribault.com Š
All advertising contained herein is the responsibility of the advertisers. This publication is copyrighted by the Faribault Daily News and no content can be reproduced without permission.
The setting sun is reflected in the waters of the Sakatah Lake State Park. The lower Sakatah Lake runs into the Cannon, which then meanders its way north and east to Faribault and on to Northfield. (Photo courtesy of Greg Davis)
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As the area’s only dive team, Rice County provides a vital service throughout the region
L
By Jacob Swanson ess than a month after Todd Rost, head of the Faribault Fire Department dive team retired after 30 years with the department, and the subsequent disbanding of the team, there was a drowning in Steele County’s Lake Kohlmeier. The dive team was called to find the body, only there was no longer a team to respond. “They called and they said, ‘just have Todd and the guys come get him and help us out here, we’ll find this kid’ and there was no Todd anymore. I had retired out of the Fire Department and there was no dive team,” Rost said. “To make that family wait like that, the public safety folks who were involved were feeling that pretty good. Nobody could go and do it….” That was in July 2012. By the end of the fall, and after a long conversation between Rost and Rice County Sheriff Troy Dunn, the Sheriff’s Office took on oversight of the dive team. “It was basically a no-brainer that we needed to do this,” said Dunn. The decision to continue the dive team, which had existed since the mid-1990s, was the easy part. Dedicating the time and personnel, and CONTINUES ON PAGE 8
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Training for the Rice County dive team, which as the only dive team in the region serves a large swath of southern Minnesota, is more than just jumping in the lakes. It takes tenders and divers on deck in case anything goes wrong. (Photo courtesy of Todd Rost)
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Members of the dive team put out a bouy in a nearby lake, using one of a couple different boats at the team’s disposal. (Photo courtesy of Todd Rost)
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
finding resources for the dive team were more difficult to figure out. Dunn needed to get approval from the Rice County Board of Commissioners and find funding for the project. The first year, the budget was quite small, but there’s now a yearly line item in the budget for the dive team, which Rost still captains. Since 2012, Rice County has received numerous grants to increase the quality and versatility of its equipment. At the Fire Department, Rost said everyone was using their own equipment, but Rice County has equipment for each member of the team, packed up and ready to go whenever the team is needed. The team also has multiple boats, jet skis, a UTV and sonar
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equipment for many different situations, from drownings to crashes and water rescues in rivers, ponds and lakes.
A dangerous job The dive team executed three rescues last summer, with Dunn saying after two kayakers capsized on the Straight River near Faribault in September that calls for the dive team were becoming more frequent. Rost said the team used to go years without a call, but that’s not the case anymore. The team is paged to multiple scenes every year. The calls aren’t just coming from Rice County. In the past four years, Rost and Lt. Joe Yetzer with the Rice County Sheriff’s Office say the dive team has assisted with cases in Winona, Wabasha,
TOP RIGHT: Divers Nate Hanson, left, and Joe Yetzer, were ready to back up primary diver Derek Estrem if he needed relief. The team was charged with retrieving a sunken car which the driver was able to escape before it was fully submerged in September 2018. (Daily News file photo) RIGHT: The Rice County Dive Team’s Ryan Bauer and Colbey Hullett respond to a sunken vehicle near Twin Lakes in September 2018. The driver escaped unharmed. (Photo courtesy of Todd Rost)
Blue Earth, Steele and Brown counties. Most counties don’t have dedicated dive teams, so they rely on Rice County’s equipment and experience. “It takes a big commitment of funds and resources and personnel and people on their off-duty time…. I think because of that, that’s why the Rice County dive team gets asked to go help for
mutual aid requests,” Yetzer said. The dive team has grown since 2012, Dunn said. Those team members have to train at least once a month. Each diver must become an open-water scuba driver, and have a public safety diving certification and ice diving certification in order to join the team. CONTINUES ON PAGE 10 u u u
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ABOVE: The Rice County Sheriff’s Office dive team consists of 12 members, with nine divers and tenders, a captain, medic and sonar operator. (Photo courtesy of Todd Rost)
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9
All of that training comes as part of real-life scenarios to prepare members of the team for diving in Minnesota waters, which can be a real challenge. “It’s not just going in the water and swimming around, because you can’t see in the lakes around here,” Yetzer said. Divers often black out their masks to simulate conditions of no visibility, and training can often be a dangerous endeavor as well. Beyond the almost complete lack of visibility in some of the waters, they’re also covered in ice for half the year, and the local rivers are often moving fairly swiftly. “You don’t think of the river as a diving thing. It’s quite hazardous to dive in the river, but we go. I think [the divers] like the challenge and I think they like to utilize their skills to do something that’s very hazardous … it’s a terribly dangerous job,” Rost said.
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“They’re giving back with their talents. There’s a lot of divers, but not everyone can bridge the gap and move into the public safety aspect of it because it can be very gruesome and very trying at times. We have tools to help us make this more successful, but it’s hard to be successful… it’s very difficult. It’s like finding a needle in a haystack sometimes.” It could be even more difficult this year after tornadoes left branches, debris and fallen trees in local rivers and lakes. After a year with three rescues, emergency responders are concerned that there could be even more of this year. “Last year we [rescued] people that were very inexperienced and they had problems before the storm. There’s always a lot of debris in the Cannon River. The trees tend to fall down and stuff like that, but now it’s ten-fold,” Rost said. “It’s just full of trees, and with Mother Nature it changes all the time. She moves them
around and it’s going to be hard to navigate the river this summer…” And with river cleanup a near impossibility, the people of southern Minnesota can thank their lucky stars that there are community members dedicated to coming to their rescue when issues do arise in the area’s rivers and lakes. The dive team consists of 12 people: Rost, the captain, divers and tenders — the person in charge of all aspects of a team on scene — Pat Degrood, Ryan Bauer, Yetzer, Derek Estrem, Nate Hanson, Colbey Hullett, Joe Pumper, Steve Bauer and Jon Milewski, sonar operator Mac Malecha and medic Joe Johnson of Northfield Ambulance. “I’m very appreciative of the time and effort our divers put into this team, their dedication to it and the Rice County citizens should feel very fortunate that we have these dedicated people to do a very dangerous job,” Dunn said. Sheriff’s Office deputies have been trained to be tenders in order to get as many people as possible to a scene. It’s not like a regular law enforcement job where the divers are on regular shifts, all are fully dedicated to this line of work. When a call comes in, the dive team gets a notification on their phones. Sometimes two people show up, sometimes it’s eight, Rost said. However many respond, they’re usually able to get things done. “Plan A doesn’t work, Plan B just rolls in and we just keep going,” Rost said of the need to try a variety of options when one doesn’t get the job down. “We’ll get it accomplished and I think we train pretty hard, so we’re pretty well-versed in what goes on around here, so that always helps.” Rost said that a couple of team members from the old Faribault Fire Department dive team moved rejoined
the team when the Sheriff’s Office took over. New members have joined as well, helping flesh out the dive team. “I consider us a successful dive team because we have guys that put in the time and effort to make it succeed. If people didn’t come to training every month, we wouldn’t be able to do our job properly. And we’re still growing. Every year something gets better with new faces and new people to kind of reenergize things. I think that’s been a big plus for us. It’s the good people that partake in it,” Rost said. “If that kind of energy and commitment keeps coming through, we don’t ever have to worry about being called and not having anybody to find their loved one….” Reach Reporter Jacob Swanson at 507-333-3129 or on Twitter @ FDNjacob.
STAY OFF THE WATER The Cannon River may look safe, but Rice County Sheriff Troy Dunn warns that under the surface there may be debris, including uprooted trees, from the tornadoes last fall. The trees, branches and whatever else was tossed by the September tornado and landed in the water could cause injuries to the river’s recreational users — and make river rescues difficult. Once the water level decreases, and more of the potential dangers can be seen and dealt with, Dunn hopes there will be good news from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources that the Cannon River will be safe to use. “I would recommend and advise no recreational boating which includes canoeing, kayaking, tubing or other watercraft use,” he said. As long as the river is passable, the DNR will not remove debris. That could pose an issue if the rescuers can’t fit where the DNR watercraft did. A flat bottom boat used by the the dive team is much wider than the average kayak or canoe. LEFT: Todd Rost heads down a railroad support to rescue a boater trapped in June 2000. Highly trained in a variety of rescue tactics and methods, Rost’s 30 years in the Faribault Fire Department provided ample opportunity to regularly put those skills to the test. (Daily News file photo) Summer 2019
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State Bank celebrates 100 years
F
By Grace Brandt
aribault has changed a lot over the last 100 years. Horse-drawn carriages have been replaced by cars. Telephone lines have been strung across the city. Fashions have run the gamut from floorbrushing skirts and buttoned boots to jeans and sneakers. Yet, as Faribault has grown and changed, one institute has remained a steady fixture within the community: State Bank of Faribault, founded in 1919 and owned by the Carlander family, celebrates its official 100-year anniversary this December. The bank has seen its share of changes as four generations of Carlanders have weathered economic hardships throughout the century and found ways to service customers’ changing needs.
The bank will evolve once more in June as it opens a brand-new branch in Prior Lake. But even as it grows and changes, State Bank of Faribault remains committed to serving its customers and its community. “We’re very appreciative of the customers and the community of Faribault, which have supported us and allowed us to continue to grow and prosper,” said current bank president John R. Carlander. “If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be working today as a third generation banker for a community bank in downtown Faribault.”
The history The State Bank of Faribault was founded on Dec. 20, 1919. The bank opened with $60,500 in capital and $100,000 in total resources, and John CONTINUES ON PAGE 14 u u u
Siblings Matthew Carlander, Kim Koepke and John R. Carlander are the third generation of Carlanders to run the State Bank of Faribault. The bank, on Central Avenue, celebrates its 100th anniversary in December. (Suzanne Rook/Faribault Daily News
CELEBRATING A CENTURY While the State Bank of Faribault’s 100-year anniversary doesn’t officially happen until December, Koepke said the bank has already started celebrating in little ways. She said there will be a larger celebration in the late summer, when the bank throws a 100-year/customer appreciation party complete with food, entertainment and door prizes. The party will take place in the bank parking lot (at its main location), mimicking a street dance hosted by the bank years ago. There will also be another celebration inside the building in December.
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LEARNING FROM A LEADER As John R. Carlander explains it, his father, Richard Carlander, is a “level five” leader— someone who allows employees to do their jobs without micromanaging them. It’s a leadership style his son works to emulate. “When he steps aside, you’re fully capable of doing the job, because he didn’t do it for you,” John R. Carlander said, adding that his father always allowed him to make mistakes and use them as learning opportunities. “That was always very helpful for me, that I was allowed to make mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes. But I didn’t repeat those mistakes. That, to me, was critical in my development here at the bank. My job is like a baseball manager, to make sure I have the right players on my team and most importantly that I put them at the right position. I want to be a level five leader like my father so that this organization can continue on to the future, as the fourth generation takes over and I ride off into the sunset.”
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13
W. Boock was its first elected president. The bank was first located in the Masonic Building at 228 Central Ave., but it moved in 1930, relocating to a vacant building right next door at 229 Central Ave. In 1938, John Carlander was elected president of the bank, beginning the Carlanders’ multigenerational banking history. In an archived interview, Carlander stated, “I am impressed with the beauty of this city and the progressive spirit of its people. I am pleased with the promising prospects of a bigger and better Faribault State Bank.” The bank surrendered its trust powers and became The State Bank of Faribault in 1939. More change came 20 years later when the bank moved into a newly constructed building at its current location at 428 Central Ave. Since then, the bank added six drive-up units, two ATMs and four major additions to the building. In addition, the bank purchased a building at 202 Western Ave. for a second location, the West Mall Branch Office, which opened for business on Nov. 26, 1991. The bank has experienced massive success throughout the years, now boasting $210 million deposits and a capital account of roughly $25 million, as well as generations of loyal
customers. It has 46 employees, some of whom have worked there for more than 20 years. One employee has even been there since 1973. “Long-term employees — that’s a key to our success,” said Matthew Carlander, John R. Carlander’s brother and who serves as vice president/business development at the bank. “When you have several seasoned employees who can do different jobs and play different roles at the drop of the hat, that really helps move the boat forward.”
A family heritage Throughout the last 100 years, nine Carlanders have worked at the State Bank of Faribault, starting with John Carlander, one of the bank’s first presidents. Carlander, who had a degree in accounting, had been working as the head examiner of the Federal Reserve Bank in Minneapolis when he was invited to come to Faribault. He had lived in St. Peter and knew the area, making it easier to accept the job. John Carlander’s son Richard spoke with the Faribault Daily News in 2014 in celebration of its 95th anniversary, and in that interview he shared more about his father’s desire to work in the banking industry: “My father got his degree in accounting in
1918. He knew that such a diploma opened doors. When he walked out his door every morning, he’d see the bank president across the street get into a nice carriage. He thought that was a pretty good deal. He knew then it was something he wanted to get into.” Richard Carlander followed in his father’s footsteps, beginning his work at the bank as a high school sophomore in 1953. John Richard Carlander’s only child, he started at the bottom as a part-time bookkeeper and continued working throughout high school and college. He was promoted to assistant cashier in 1960, making $1.73 an hour. Eventually, he was elected president of the bank in 1968 and chairman of the bank’s board in 1993. At 82, Richard Carlander is still working. In the Carlander family, you work until you hit 85, since that’s when John Carlander retired. “We work until we’re 85, until we retire or die,” John R. Carlander explained. “My father’s 82. He continues to come to the bank on a pretty consistent basis to participate in our growth and make sure we’re on track for our next century.” But for the Carlanders, the State Bank of Faribault has been responsible for more
than just Richard Carlander’s 66-year career. According to Richard’s daughter, Kimberly (Carlander) Koepke, the Carlander kids have the bank to thank for the way their parents met. Koepke said that her mother, Lorraine, came into the bank
as a customer one day to meet another bank employee, and Richard Carlander happened to notice her in the lobby. He inquired as to who she was and even promised the fellow employee a steak CONTINUES ON PAGE 16 u u u
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The State Bank of Faribault’s Fleckenstein display includes signage, bottles and cans, wooden crates and more. The Faribault brewery closed in 1964. (Suzanne Rook/ Faribault Daily News)
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17
History, its own and the city’s, take a prominent spit at State Bank of Faribault’s downtown branch. (Suzanne Rook/Faribault Daily News) CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15
dinner if a date could be arranged between the two of them. “It all worked out,” Koepke said with a laugh. “And the employee got that steak dinner.”
Joining the family business For John R. Carlander, the eldest of the third-generation of Carlander siblings, joining the family business was never a question. “I knew as soon as I understood the concept of working that I was going to be a community banker,” he
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said. “There was just no ifs, ands, or buts about it. I knew that from age 5. I used to down here on Saturdays and Sundays with my father, when he would work. The bank would be closed, and I’d have my own little office where I could put my pencils and paper and pretend that I was a community banker.” Koepke and Matthew Carlander have CONTINUES ON PAGE 18 u u u
GIVING BACK
be good to the community,” Koepke said.
For the State Bank of Faribault, business doesn’t simply revolve around the bottom dollar. Instead, the bank has been committed to supporting its community ever since it began.
Throughout the course of its 100-year history, the State Bank has supported more than 100 area organizations and projects, such as the Paradise Center for the Arts, the Faribault Area Senior Center, Faribault Public Schools and Ruth’s House. The bank has a contribution committee that
“This community has been good to us, and we like to
meets weekly, while bank board members have been extensively involved in city organizations such as the city’s Economic Development Authority and Housing and Redevelopment Authority. Bank employees also volunteer on city and nonprofit boards. “You have to basically engulf yourself into the community and be part of the engine
that grows Faribault,” John R. Carlander said. “We donate a lot of our profits back into our community, and I think that goes a long way in having your community support you. We’re not like a corporate bank, where the profits are syphoned out of the community. Here, they’re redistributed and reallocated into our community.”
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Display cases in the State Bank of Faribault are filled with bank memorabilia. (Suzanne Rook/Faribault Daily News)
GENERATIONS OF CUSTOMERS Just as different generations of Carlanders have taken over the helm, different generations of customers have trusted the bank throughout the years. Koepke said people will still come up to her and share about how they received a car loan or a home loan from her grandfather and her father. “I love hearing those stories of the past, from my grandfather and my dad,” she said. “People say, ‘Your bank changed our lives.’ I always think that it’s quite an honor to be a part of someone’s memory. We are privileged to be a part of your life and your memories.” Koepke said the bank still works with generations of family members, making connections that continue far past banking business. “Years ago, deals were done on a handshake,” she said. “In today’s world, you have so much compliance and regulation, but it still falls back on that: ‘I know your family.’ You know the history of your family. You have history with these people.” “You’re not just a number when you walk through the door,” John R. Carlander added. “You’re a name. We know you, we know your family. And we’re here to help. We’re very appreciative of the customers and the community of Faribault, who have supported us and allowed us to continue to grow and prosper.”
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Members of the State Bank of Faribault Board are, back, from left, Jay P. Valentyn, John R. Carlander, Matthew C. Carlander, Clint A. Rehtmeyer, Bradley C. Schmitz, Douglas C. Zahn and Robert F. Foley. Front, Kimberly A. Koepke and Richard J. Carlander. (Suzanne Rook/Faribault Daily News) CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17
“I think it was John who did it, but he says it was me,” Koepke said. “It’s still similar memories of spending time at the pretty controversial today as to who it bank when they were younger. Koepke was.” shared stories of Older brother, how the siblings John R. Carlandwould often go er began workto the bank on ing at the bank the weekends when he was 16, to give their starting in 1973. The State Bank of Faribault added mother some He had the another honor to its list of achievements free time, and chance to work in May, when it was named the 2019 they would with both his Business of the Year by Faribault’s “cause probgrandfather and Chamber of Commerce. For Koepke, lems” by eating his father, whom the honor was extra special because all the bank’s he calls his the nomination was made by bank candy, jamming mentors. One employees. up the countparticular lesson “We have a wonderful staff, and they’re ing machines he remembers an extension of the family,” she said. and riding the learning stems bank’s elevator from his time so many times as a high school that Koepke once got student working part-time at the bank stuck in it. during the summer. Part of his job was But the most fun was probably the time selling tickets at the Rice County Fair and they pushed all the bank’s buttons and acbringing the money back to the bank to cidentally set off the security alarm. deposit it. He said he expected a pretty big
BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
paycheck after working an 80-hour week, but he was disappointed when he received his check and saw how small it was. “I thought there had to be a mistake,” he said. “So I went to my grandfather’s office and said, ‘Grandfather, there’s got to be a mistake here. I don’t see the benefit of working that hard if you don’t see the compensation.’ He said, ‘John, if you can’t get it done in 40 hours, you don’t deserve to get paid more.’ That was an eye opener for me. That just taught me the value of working hard but working efficiently, not dilly dally to stretch the work week out. It showed me that you put your shoulder to the wheel, and you work hard, and the harder you work, the more you’re going to get rewarded than just putting the time in.” Meanwhile, Matthew Carlander started working at the bank in high school in 1982 before studying banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After graduation, he returned to the bank in the bookkeeping department, eventually working his way up to vice president/business development. Over the years, he watched the bank’s business model grow in the wake of computerized data storage and other technological advances. Koepke came to the bank in 1993, becoming the first female elected to the board of directors. In 2009, she started to physically work at the bank as the manager of its Rewards Club, a unique service that no other bank in town offers. A travel social club, the Rewards Club promotes tour and travel for clients. “The best part of my job are the friendships that are made,” Koepke said. “We like to travel, laugh, experience new things and create life-long memories. In the end, memories are all you have. You walk in as a customer and you leave a friend.” When it comes to working so closely as a family and as business colleagues, the Carlander siblings each stressed how important it is to work together. “We attack [problems] as a team,” Matthew Carlander said. “Sometimes we don’t all get along, but in the end, we come to common ground and find ways to work through the differences.” “It does present some challenges,” Koepke
TOP: Just to the right of the downtown branch’s lobby are cases filled with Fleckenstein beer memorabilia, an homage to the city’s one-time brewery. (Suzanne Rook/Faribault Daily News) ABOVE: Along with bank and Fleckenstein beer memorabilia, and a painting of Faribaultian Bruce Smith — the state’s only Heisman Trophy winner — are a number of mounted deer heads, trophies of Bank President John R. Carlander. (Suzanne Rook/Faribault Daily News)
admitted. “It’s not always easy working with your family, but, at the end of the day, we’re a family. We count our blessings, and we’re very blessed.”
Looking forward By now, the fourth generation of Carland-
ers have also begun taking their places at the bank, with every grandchild working there at least at one point. Koepke’s son, Chad Koepke, joined the family business when he was 16, starting by scraping gum off the parking lot and tackling other menial jobs. He’s currently pursuing a master’s CONTINUES ON PAGE 20 u u u
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Siblings Matthew Carlander (vice president/business development), Kim Koepke (Rewards Club manager) and John R. Carlander (president) stand behind their parents, Lorraine and Richard. Richard Carlander, the second generation of Carlanders to run State Bank of Faribault, continues to serve as chairman of the bank’s board. (Suzanne Rook/Faribault Daily News) CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19
degree with plans to return to the bank once he graduates next year. Meanwhile, Koepke’s daughter, Lauren, also works for the bank and is planning to move to the Prior Lake branch when it opens. John R.
PRIOR LAKE According to Kim Carlander Koepke, the decision to open a new branch in Prior Lake stems from the fact that community banks need to expand if they want to keep thriving. Otherwise, these smaller banks are often bought out by corporate banks. “In the banking industry, you have to get bigger or you’re
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Carlander’s three daughters have also all worked at the bank. While going into the family business is almost a given for every Carlander, that doesn’t mean the road is easy. “You can take it for granted when you work in a family business that everything is
bought out, and we don’t plan on selling,” she said. “There aren’t too many of us around, and we plan on remaining true to our roots. You look around, and community banks are disappearing left and right. Even in Prior Lake, they had one that disappeared. We decided that we should branch out a little bit, expand our base and do what we like to do.” John R. Carlander added that
just given to you,” said John R. Carlander. “That’s not how it works in the Carlander family. You’ve got to work and earn everything you have; nothing is just handed for you. We wouldn’t be in business for 100 years if that’s the way things worked.” Grace Brandt is a freelance journalist based in Mankato.
they chose Prior Lake as the new site because they wanted to stay close to Faribault and already had customers in the southern metro area. “I don’t know I’d say we’re a dinosaur, but we’ve chosen not to sell, and we want to grow organically from within,” he said. “That means we’ve got to go where there’s a bigger population. You want to go where the fish are, and Prior Lake is on a lake. There’s a lot
more fish up there than there are in Faribault. We’re not going to abandon Faribault, but we want to continue to grow, and we feel that growth will come quicker in a south metro location.” Carlander said the plan is to open more branches in that area in the future. The Prior Lake branch opens June 3 at 6867 Bowdine St. NE.
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2 1 Student 3
synergy Faribault leaders
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Lutheran develops with multi-grade interactions
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4 Story & Photos By Misty Schwab ennifer Jarocki gave her first-grade students instructions on how to make rainbow mosaics on a Thursday afternoon, but after that, it was seventh-grade students who took the floor.
These interactions are typical at Faribault Lutheran School, where sev-
1 2 3
enth- and eighth-grade students partner with first-graders once a week. “It helps because if [younger students are] shy, it helps them come out of their shell,” said seventh-grader Makia Bauer. “It’s a good thing to do things with other kids, and it’s fun for the younger ones,” said seventh-grader Tucker Schrek. At FLS, a kindergarten through eighthgrade school on Fourth Street NW, students easily connect with classmates, both older and younger. This dynamic works well for the school, which aims
First-grader Haddie Munger works with seventh-grader Lucas Klokonos to complete her rainbow mosaic. Seventh-grader Carson Kreager, left, works with Bentley Lewis and William Reindl to create rainbow mosaics. Faribault Lutheran School students easily interact with students in other grade levels. The smaller student population makes the environment feel like a family, said Principal Seth Winter.
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to cultivate a familial atmosphere that equips students with leadership skills and a desire to look out for others. First-grader Noah Babcok said he likes his partner Cole Houge because he’s funny. In addition to having a good time, Babcok learned something from Houge: “Don’t paint your hands.” Babcok and first-grader Claire Kreager listed some of the activities they’ve done with their student partners this year, including painting, writing and reading CONTINUES ON PAGE 24 u u u
Seventh-grader Meredith DeCoux digs into the bowl of paper tiles with her first-grade partners Baylee Gunderson and Avery Pribbenow. First-grader Noah Babcok and seventh-grader Cole Houge work on a rainbow mosaic together. First-graders held up pictures of the animals mentioned in the song “If I Were a Butterfly” as their older student partners sang behind them. Summer 2019
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23
books. They’ve painted pumpkins in the fall and even exchanged gifts. “For partner times we also made pretzels,” said first-grader Avery Pribbenow. “They were so good.” Jarocki also appreciates the partner time each week. The older students promote reading to the younger students and show them how to stay on task. The one-onone interactions also allow Jarocki to choose more complex art projects for students to tackle. “My favorite part is watching [sev-
enth- and eighth-graders] interact with the younger students,” said Jarocki. “They get to have that ‘young at heart’ moment.” It’s not just the seventh- and eighthgraders who set an example for the younger students. Sixth-grade teacher Erin Rudolph said some of her students tend to become more headstrong as they move into the middle school ages, but she sees a softer side to them as they interact with the younger children. She’s also witnessed eighth-graders teaching seventh-graders how to be the following year’s leaders. “You see the older kids really taking care of the younger kids,” said Rudolph.
‘This idea of kindergarten and eighth-grade being in the same building has led to a lot of great partnerships. … There’s a different kind of pressure when younger ones are watching.’ - Faribault Lutheran School’s Seth Winter
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Nine grade levels, one building With the expense that comes with a private education, Faribault Lutheran School Principal Seth Winter said he wants to offer families more than reading, writing and arithmetic lessons. To him, that means giving students opportunities to grow as leaders and role models in their school and community. A key piece of this mission involves the multi-age level interactions that happen both inside and outside the classrooms. “This idea of kindergarten and eighthgrade being in the same building has led to a lot of great partnerships,” said Winter. “ … There’s a different kind of pressure when younger ones are watching.”
Part of what makes FLS a place of leadership formation is the small class sizes. At a school where the average class size is 14, it’s not unusual for students to know and recognize children in other grade levels. It’s the school setting itself that establishes the familiarity, not the Faribault location or the church affiliation. Most students live in Faribault, said Winter, but others come from Medford, Waterville, Morristown and Lonsdale. And while 40% of the students belong to either the Trinity or Peace Lutheran Churches affiliated with the school, the other 60% attend other churches or don’t have a faith com-
munity. No matter where students come from, Winter said the school feels like a family setting with the kindergarten through eighth-grade arrangement. This student population, he said, also presents more opportunities for teachers throughout the school to connect with one another and form tight friendships. “Not every school has eighthgrade teachers talking with
CONTINUES ON PAGE 26 u u u
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Faribault Lutheran School seventh-grader Jonathan Gehrke partners with firstgrader Gabe Cigonhini to complete a rainbow mosaic. Standing is Ty Reat. Faribault Lutheran School seventh- and eighth-graders prepared a song to sing with their first-grade partners at an outdoor church service. Older students and younger students give one another fist bumps during an outdoor service at Peace Lutheran Church.
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kindergarten teachers as often as we do,” said Winter.
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Seventh-grader Tucker Schreck, right, supervises first-graders Violet Gramse and George Muenchow during their partner time. Older and younger students at Faribault Lutheran School partner frequently, which allows the older students to work on leadership skills while younger ones learn from the older students. First-graders held up pictures of the animals mentioned in the song “If I Were a Butterfly” as their older student partners sang behind them. Faribault Lutheran students of different ages sit together during a May outdoor service at Peace Lutheran Church. The school encourages interaction between older and younger students.
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25
A GROWING POPULATION
Fifth-grader Payton EckWhile smaller class sizes aren’t uncommon at hardt agreed Faribault Lutheran School, Principal Seth Winter that FLS noted a sharp increase in recent years. feels like famThirty-one kindergartners for 2018-19 is ily, “besignificantly larger than the sixth-grade class cause it’s of five students. In fact, Winter said students in kindergarten through second grade make up a Christian half the school’s student population. He credits school and the sharp increase to parent recommendations, we get to talk which already inspired several families to to each other.” transfer their children to FLS next year. Normally, fifth-grader William where Buffington said he sees the students in other grade school levels in the halls between has just classes, and “can probably two lunch name everybody above third-grade,” he periods, and also during weekly chapel. said. Classes take turns leading services, which Buffington’s fifth-grade class shares a presents another opportunity for the oldhomeroom with fourth-graders, which er students to set an example. Students in allows for more multi-grade interactions. multiple age groups also come together He already knew many of these students to form chapel families that sit together. when they shared a homeroom as secThis has been a longstanding ritual for ond- and third-graders. Although having Faribault Lutheran School. younger students in his homeroom class At the end of each week, seventh- and makes for a louder environment, he eighth-grade students lead Friday Fitness said one positive aspect is having more for the entire student body. They spend students to participate in group activities. five to 10 minutes that morning preparMost of his classes, however, are with his ing an exercise routine that includes line own grade. dancing, hurdles, and jumping rope. Other classes besides homerooms combine students of different grade levels. For In warm weather, students go outside to walk together and do other outdoor two hours each Friday, FLS offers several activities. multi-age electives like cooking, cod FLS also presents a number of annual ing, sewing, and worship planning. One events and activities for the entire school. elective prepares students in all grade On one of the last days of the academic levels to perform in a musical together, year, all students participate in an event and all grade levels also combine for a called Fun in the Sun, which involves choir concert at the end of the school outdoor games. Jarocki said students year. Since each elective class lasts one never need to wear name tags at these trimester, students have opportunities to events because they already know one become better acquainted with different another by name. classmates three times a year. A couple times a year, FLS students It’s not just the classroom setting that walk to Peace Lutheran Church together brings multi-age students together at FLS. Students see each other in the cafeteria, for a service with Peace Lutheran pre-
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school students. If the weather cooperates, they do an outdoor service. During a May service outdoors, first-graders and their older student partners sang a song together.
A caring manner Walking through the school, Winter said it’s common for him to spot an older student lending a hand to a younger student. He might see an eighthgrader helping kindergartners handle their lunch trays in the cafeteria, or maybe he’ll notice a seventh-grader helping a second-grader get his arms through his winter coat sleeves. Chrysteena Saehler, who works with students in the resource room and also teaches math, said it’s nice to see students in younger grades develop the confidence to talk with older students. Rather than being intimidated, they talk in the halls and look up to them as both mentors and friends. Based on Winter’s observations, these caring interactions aren’t forced. Instead, they happen organically. Since these students grew up witnessing the way older students treated them as younger students, the seventh- and eighth-graders know what to do by the time they become school leaders. Even after FLS students graduate in eighth-grade and attend high school elsewhere, Winter believes many continue to present leadership skills. He sees this when alumni volunteers, like Bethlehem Academy senior Emily Dietz, volunteer to help with various programs and activities. “The caring nature is coming out of the older kids and being passed down to the younger kids,” said Winter. “… as role models, they set the example to take care of those around you.” Reporter Misty Schwab can be reached at 507-3333135. Follow her on Twitter @APGmisty.
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SPRING has sprung Photos By GREG DAVIS, RICHARD REIN & SUZANNE ROOK 28
Summer 2019
TOP PREVIOUSE PAGE: An old, well-worn tree stump provides a home for growing vines. (Suzanne Rook/ Faribault Daily News) ABOVE: New leaves pop in the early spring sun. (Suzanne Rook/Faribault Daily News) ABOVE MIDDLE: Bark, some covered with mossy spots, cracks and peels off of a North Alexander Park tree. (Suzanne Rook/Faribault Daily News) BOTTOM PREVIOUS PAGE: Dandelion.(Suzanne Rook/ Faribault Daily News) LEFT: Heron or egret? This beautiful white bird enjoys wading into the water while standing in the warm spring sun.(Suzanne Rook/Faribault Daily News) CONTINUES ON PAGE 30 u u u
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TOP: A new tree sprouts alongside a weathered log in Two Rivers Park. (Suzanne Rook/Faribault Daily News) ABOVE LEFT: The sun sets on Faribault and one of its most well-known landmarks, the viaduct. The bridge, with its distinctive arches, was constructed in 1937, a project of the federal Works Progress Administration. (Photo courtesy of Greg Davis) ABOVE RIGHT: The sun, just as it dips below the horizon, gives off a beautiful golden orange glow. (Photo courtesy of Greg Davis)
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TOP RIGHT: Members of the Faribault American Legion Color Guard presented colors during a Memorial Day morning ceremony. (Suzanne Rook/Faribault Daily News) BOTTOM RIGHT: Law enforcement officers bow their heads as “Amazing Grace” plays May 15 during a Peace Officers Memorial Day commemoration. Pictured. from left, are Rice County Sheriff’s Deputy Derek Estrem, Northfield Deputy Chief Mark Elliot and Northfield Police Chief Monte Nelson and Rice County Sheriff’s deputies Benji Young, Mike Jarvis and Stephanie Duhme. (Anne Kopas/Faribault Daily News)
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This black and white image highlights the swirl-like growth patten on this tree stump. (Photo courtesy of Richard Rein)
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TOP: A gorgeous white crabapple tree is filled with blossoms. (Suzanne Rook/Faribault Daily News) ABOVE LEFT: Water moves quickly in the local rivers. (Photo courtesy of Richard Rein) ABOVE RIGHT: A log sits alongside the bank of a swiftly moving creek. (Photo courtesy of Richard Rein) Summer 2019
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Bait & tack The end of an era at Nagel’s Live Bait
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ckle
T
Story By Mike Randleman he Nagels’ phone rang. “Are you going to be open?” a customer inquired. “And what time?” “When do you want me to be?” replied Andy Nagel, ready to assist at a moment’s notice. The owner of his family’s namesake business aimed to please. Just as there are always fish in the lakes, there was always work to do at
Nagel’s Live Bait.
Casting the Line
Andy’s parents Oris and Evelyn Nagel founded the bait shop business out of a small shed located on Seventh Street on Faribault’s west side. Cement minnow tanks were built into the ground on the left side of the shed with a stainless steel bench to clean fish in the back. The understated white exterior looked like it may simply house garden tools or some spare firewood, but it was go-to spot for fishermen, local and beyond. Its location between Roberds Lake and the Cannon River was tough to beat. Customers could walk over as if visiting a neighbor. Others made the commute from around the Midwest, taking advantage of Minnesota’s limitless lakes. Andy Nagel “People would come all the way from Iowa and fish bullheads,” reminisced Andy’s daughter, Penny Malecha-Nagel.
Elaine Nagel and Penny Malecha-Nagel at the Nagel’s Bait Shop storefront in May 2019. (Mike Randleman/Faribault Daily News)
“Then they would come with pails of them. They’d wait out here, they’d get an ice cream treat or a pop. They’d sit outside, Grandma would clean the fish and Dad would maybe help her if needed. They’d wait for them, they’d bag them off, pack them in ice and off they’d go.” Penny was one of the spokes on the wheel of the business kept entirely in the family. She could be seen as a human cash register, equipped with a wad of cash in her pocket facilitating purchases and assisting wherever needed. Friendly, personable service defined the business. Its clientele grew and Nagel’s Live Bait began to inch ahead with its offerings. “We began to hang a small peg board here,” Andy’s wife, Elaine, said, motioning to the front right corner of the shed. “It had a few hooks, leaders, sinkers and bobbers. That was it.” That was it for a time.
Moving out The business was beginning to outgrow its cramped dimensions. In 1982, Andy bought the business from his parents. With the CONTINUES ON PAGE 36 u u u
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Andy Nagel took it upon himself in 1982 to build his new shop. The shop sold bait and supplies for fisherman, but was also a favorite haunt for those who liked to fish. (Photo courtesy of the Nagels)
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35
help of some friends, he built a larger shop just next door to the shed.
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It was fitting that Andy took on the construction project himself. He had an indefatigable work ethic that allowed him to juggle not only the responsibilities at Nagel’s Live Bait, but also Andy Nagel Sodding, a business he owned and operated for 50 years. He did the painstaking work day in and day out to keep his pursuits going until the day he died. Most was done behind the scenes. “My dad seined his own minnows and spent many rainy nights picking night crawlers along with my mom. He also had a worm hill in the back and would box up fresh worms almost daily,” Penny said. “He would drive all over to creeks and ponds. He’d put on miles and miles. The creeks, that’s where he’d get the suckers and the shiners and some of your chubs and your bigger minnows for northerns, muskies or ice fishing they’ll do spearing and want a decoy.” The new location provided room for new minnow tanks, a larger selection of bait and whatever else you’d need for a day on the water. Penny candy was a big hit for neighborhood kids and sweettoothed fisherman alike. A rack of chips cycled through bags daily and cold drinks were always on hand.
Elaine Nagel behind the counter at Nagel’s Live Bait in 1984. Her husband Andy bought the shop from his parents two years earlier and operated it until he died in December. (Photo courtesy of the Nagels)
‘Back in the day, the fishing opener was a big deal. We’d be open all night.’ - Penny Malecha-Nagel
Need a pack of smokes? How about a new license? Nagel’s had it. The business’ capabilities extended beyond the realm of a traditional bait shop. Customers were like family. Sometimes family members have some odd requests. “Someone came in with a new car, or a car that was new to him.” Elaine began. “He said ‘Oh my gosh, I was supposed to put diesel in it and I put regular gas in it!’” For a brief moment, Nagel’s Live Bait became Nagel’s Body Shop. “He helped him drain it,” Penny said, also pointing out the flat tires Nagel helped change over the years. Nagel’s Lounge could have been another alternative storefront sign to post. If not on the boat, Nagel’s clientele liked to drop anchor inside the shop to play cards or shoot the breeze. Andy loved to regale with stories. “We’d come in sometimes, I’d stop down, and Dad would be working and there’d be three, four guys BS’ing,” Penny said. “Not buying bait, just talking. It was a social club.” The familial atmosphere was embodied by gestures of kindness from regulars. Ironically, bait shop owners don’t have much time to fish himself, but the Nagels didn’t go long without receiving a fresh catch. “People would bring a Dairy Queen
Nagel’s Live Bait in 1984. (Photo courtesy of the Nagels)
for ‘ya, they’d bring in morel mushrooms
said “Thanks, but no thanks.”
or would say ‘We caught some extra fish,
Most to step foot in Nagel’s were repeat
here’s a fish for ‘ya.’ ‘We just went hunt-
customers. They knew cash was king to
ing, do you like deer jerky?’”
buy some bait.
You bet they did.
Others received a gentle indoctrination.
The goodwill flowed both ways.
“We didn’t take debit or credit, but
Nagel’s had a reputation as an old-
people got to where that’s all they car-
school business. No internet, no credit
ried,” Elaine said. “They’d get their bait
card readers, no WiFi passwords to remem-
and they’d go up and we’d say ‘I’m sorry,
ber.
we don’t take them.’ ‘Oh, I’ll have to take
When the DNR told Nagel’s it needed to
the bait back.’ And (Andy) would say ‘Oh,
have an internet connection to continue
go fishing.’ And he’d just give it to them.
to sell fishing licenses, they figuratively
CONTINUES ON PAGE 38 u u u
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Andy Nagel and his daughter Penny posed in front of a new sign put up in 2010. The shop, which seemed to be open every day of the year closed after longtime owner Andy Nagel’s death last December. (Photo courtesy of the Nagels) CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37
Then he said ‘It isn’t going to break me,’ Then you know those people? They’ll stop back. Next time they go fishing they say, ‘Here’s money for the bait, now I’m going to buy this.’”
eat and then we’d eat and come back down.” His wife Elaine could only forgive Andy for being a little busy on Mother’s Day weekend, which annually coincides with the Minnesota fishing opener. That weekend was the Nagel’s Super Bowl. “Back in the day, the fishing opener was a big deal,” Penny said. “We’d be open all night.” Continued
‘We’d come in sometimes, I’d stop down, and Dad would be working and there’d be three, four guys BS’ing. Not buying bait, just talking. It was a social club.’ - Penny Malecha-Nagel
Reeling it in Nagel’s hours were never set in stone, but you could count on the doors to be open and the lights to be on when the spring and winter season was in full swing. Andy was there seven days a week, 365 days a year. That’s not a clichéd exaggeration. “He was always open. If it was Christmas, he’d come down and work a while,” Penny said. “Thanksgiving, he’d be down here and he’d come back just in time to
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Elaine: “One year he said he was here without even stepping outside of the door. He came really early Friday morning, stayed open Friday night, worked all day Saturday and it was probably until 10 at night until he closed.” Unless there was a funeral or an imme-
diate family emergency, work went on. Andy’s capacities were limited when he approached his 80s. He was diagnosed with cancer and vertigo, and was later resigned to a padded, armed chair in the back where he could oversee the shop. He was hospitalized at Abbot Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis before he died on Dec. 22, 2018. In addition to Penny, he is survived by children JoAnn, Vanessa and Michelle. Some loyal customers who didn’t immediately hear the news about his passing suspected something was amiss by his absence at the shop. “People were like ‘Something’s going on. Andy doesn’t close. Something’s going on,’” Penny said. “That tells you how dedicated he was. People knew.” The Nagels have opted to close the shop for good. Wholesalers bought back some of the remaining merchandise. Hooks, lines and other merchandise still lines the walls and candy partially fills the glass display case. Penny contemplated a “garage sale of sorts” to unload more remaining goods and offer customers a chance to bid farewell to their beloved bait shop. Penny and Elaine admitted it’s been a long winter. There were conflicting emotions when the first fishing opener without Andy came May 12. They plan to sell the property down the road. When they’re there to clean and maining merchanmanage redise, former customers often see their cars and stop in to offer their condolences. Outpourings of support offer closure to an end of an era. “Someone came in and said ‘I just need to step in here one more time,’” Elaine said. “What I miss more than the actual business, all those people that normally stopped in.” Reach Sports Editor Mike Randleman at 507-333-3119 or on Twitter @fdnmike.
Camp Faribault:
German POWS in Faribault during World War II were either sent to help in the fields or at the Faribault Canning Co., which later became Faribault Foods. (Photo courtesy of Camp Algona POW Museum)
A footnote of local World War II history German POWs helped plug the labor shortage in fields and canning factory
H
undreds of cars whiz by Second Avenue NW in Faribault each day, but few see the small plaque on
the corner of Second Avenue NW and 14th Street.
The plaque represents one of the last
Story By Nick Gerhardt pieces of evidence of the former prisoner of war barracks that housed German soldiers during World War II. Those barracks, known as Camp Faribault, stood for nearly 50 years before getting knocked down in 1990 to make room for an expansion of Faribault Foods. Minnesota served as a landing place for many German POWs. It’s estimated that as many as 400,000 German POWs came to the U.S. and thousands lived at one of 15 or so camps across the state. The war created an intense labor storage
across the country and industries lined up to utilize POW labor to fill the gap. The canning industry was just one of those entities in need of help and in Minnesota, the Minnesota Canners Association requested 3,000 POWs to bridge the gap. The Faribault Canning Co., which later became Faribault Foods, modestly requested 200 men to help at its canning factory. The Faribault Canning Co. faced little opposition in bringing in the POWs, except from the local packers union. CONTINUES ON PAGE 40 u u u Summer 2019
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Faribault was home to one of 15 branch camps that housed German prisoners of war that had come through Algona, Iowa, during World War II. (Photo courtesy of Camp Algona POW Museum) CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39
The Faribault Canning Co. began construction on two barracks back in May 1944 in preparation for the POWs’ arrival. The POWs arrived around a month later but didn’t stay in Faribault long, they left following V-E Day on May 8, 1945, and there’s no record that any stayed or returned to Faribault. For the most part the POWs were treated
like regular employees at the canning factory. They just had someone keeping a closer eye on them. A 1990 Faribault Daily News article about the demolition of the barracks quoted Ruth Thibodeau on the treatment the POWs received from their guards. “From what I can remember, they were more like trustees than prisoners,” Thibodeau said. “They were supervised, but the guards didn’t have guns or any-
The Faribault Daily News captured the former barracks site following the demolition of the barracks in 1990. The barracks housed around 200 German POWs in Faribault. (News archive)
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Spring 2019
thing like that. They just had to stay in their designated area.” The POWs worked regular shifts like the other workers, ate their meals in the barracks and spent their free time there. Records don’t indicate any disturbances with the POWs. While they lived in the barracks, the POWs had magazines to read and some entertainment options. There was a ping pong table and other carved wood in their free time. Reports note a
THE CAMP Faribault’s POW camp operated from June 20, 1944 to November 1944, and from March 27, 1945 to Nov. 30, 1945, according to the Camp Algona POW History Museum A total of 412 prisoners were housed there as of September 1945. Commanding officers were Sgt. Milligan, Lt. Robert Poynter and 2d Lt. Bertrand C. Davis. The Faribault Daily News captured a photo of the old barracks back in 1990 before they were demolished as part of an expansion of Faribault Foods. The barracks housed around 200 German POWs from 1944 to 1945. (Daily News archive)
guitar player in the barracks and a painter. If the POWs weren’t needed at the canning factory, many helped with farm work across the area. The POWs came from Algona, Iowa, about 35 miles west of Mason City, to Faribault to work at pea-vining and corn snapping.
Branch camp Faribault residents who worked at the canning factory got to know the POWs through their work together. One of those residents was a young Daniel Hanson, who worked at the canning factory part-time back in 1945 as a high school junior. Hanson received two gifts from a POW after getting to know them as he made his way to and from work. Hanson used to stop and say hello to the POWs through the fence at the margins of the camp. Hanson received a wooden plaque with a relief carving and a turtle shell box from a POW. In a 1975 interview with L.E. Swanberg, the former editor of the Faribault Daily News, wrote that Swanberg said there was never any trouble with the POWs but “they had some big boys, husky, [one of the guards] said if they ever had a goddamn riot they’d have a hell of a time, that’s why they watched them very carefully.”
LEFT: Daniel Hanson received this wood plaque as a gift from a German World War II prison of war in Faribault. Hanson worked part-time at the canning factory in Faribault alongside the German POWs. The plaque was passed to Hanson through a barrier fence at the margins of the POW camp. (Nick Gerhardt/Faribault Daily News) RIGHT: Daniel Hanson, a 1946 Faribault High School graduate, received this turtle shell box as a gift from a German POW who lived at Camp Faribault which sat at the former Faribault Foods site at the corner of Second Avenue NW and 14th Street. The POWs worked in the canning factory that once sat there. (Nick Gerhardt/Faribault Daily News)
Camps stretched from northern Minnesota to southern Minnesota. Nearby camps included Hollandale, Owatonna and Wells. Nationally there were 155 camps spread across 44 states. According to an Albert Lea Tribune article, “By 1945, the former German and Italian troops has worked in 24 of the
state’s counties. The first group of POWs to arrive in Minnesota consisted of 100 Italians and 40 U.S. Army guards. They came from a camp in Missouri during the fall of 1943 and were sent to Princeton to harvest potatoes. CONTINUES ON PAGE 42 u u u
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41
have asserted that were as many as 20 camps in
A short time later, another 100 Italian POWs went to Olivia to harvest seed corn. When these two assignments were completed, the Italians went back to the camp in Missouri. “At the end of 1943 a large POW camp was established at Algona, Iowa. This became the command center for the German POWs in Minnesota for the rest of World War II. Some support functions, such as medical services and supplies, came from Fort Snelling. “The 15 branch camps in Minnesota were located in or near Moorhead, Fairmont, Remer, Bena, Owatonna, Deer River, New Ulm, Montgomery, Faribault, St. Charles, Ortonville, Howard Lake, Bird Island, Hollandale and Wells.” Some
Minnesota. Few POWs tried to make a run for it and there’s even a story about a duo who tried to escape from a camp up north but made it just 30 miles before searchers found them and they surrendered. According to Smithsonian.com, “Of the tens of thousands of POWs in the United States during World War II, only 2,222, less than 1 percent, tried to escape, and most were quickly rounded up. By 1946, all prisoners had been returned to their home countries.” When the POWs left, that wasn’t the end of the barracks. Years later workers from the West Indies lived in the barracks, according to a report from Arnold Madow. Not only did those barracks get knocked down in 1990, but several houses were removed, along with the former Bauernfeind and Goedtel Roofing and Sheet Metal building. Nick Gerhardt is a freelancer journalist based in Northfield.
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‘The helpful place’ Joe Donahue brings a spirit of service to Faribault business
F
Story By Anne Kopas
aribault small-business life runs in Joe Donahue’s blood. The same year he was born, his parents purchased the city’s well-known greenhouse bearing their name. He grew up learning the tricks of the trade from his parents, Lois and the late Richard Donahue, and worked in the family business from high school until his late 20s. And then, he reached a point in life where he realized he needed a change of pace. It happened quickly, he said. Donahue knew he was good at fixing things, and started up a conversation with Dennis and Julie Fillipi, owners of Fillipi Hardware. Eight months later, in 2002, he bought the store, turned it into an Ace Hardware and became co-owner along with his wife, Kathryn, who previously worked as an occupational therapist.
Now, the Donahues are going on 17 years running the store. Much has changed since then, he said. The main difference is today’s reliance on computers to run nearly everything in-store, from tracking inventory to ordering, along with a switch from advertising CONTINUES ON PAGE 44 u u u
TOP: Joe Donahue stands in front of the Ace Hardware he’s owned for almost 17 years. He previously worked at his parents’ greenhouse from high school until his late 20s. (Anne Kopas/Faribault Daily News) Summer 2019
43
Joe Donahue talks with an employee at his Ace Hardware store in Faribault. Donahue was given a Faribault Area Chamber of Commerce Customer Service award last month. (Anne Kopas/Faribault Daily News) CONTINUED FROM PAGE 43
in circulars to spreading the word via social media. The store is now about a third bigger than before, with both more volume and variety of product, said Donahue. And in November 2018, the store added a Hallmark Gold Crown shop, which is possible because Ace stores are a co-op, rather than a franchise. People thank Donahue for the addition nearly every day. “We’re always looking for new things to fill in any gaps that are missing in the community,” he said. To Donahue, change is the key to staying in business. If you can’t adapt with the times, customers will go elsewhere. “People are going all over, but I think that if we’re going to just sit back and do nothing, to not change anything, I think that we would not be growing the way we
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Summer 2019
have, so we’re always keeping our eyes and
nominated and voted the store the winner
ears open for things,” he said.
of Southern Minn Scene magazine’s Best
Each year, Donahue is used to unpredict-
Hardware Store award several years run-
ability. Last year, the intense cold and snow
ning.
meant that snow equipment sold faster
Donahue also owns an Ace Hardware in
than anticipated. Some years, certain lawn
St. Charles. Along with that, he’s a part-
products or potting soils are the big-ticket
owner of the Crooked Pint restaurant in
items. It’s a constant — but welcome —
Faribault, along with Princeton Kokku and
challenge to stay ahead of things, he said.
Jeremy Brown, who he met about six years
When given the opportunity to give
ago.
back, Donahue does so gladly. In 2018, his
Brown described Donahue as a solid,
store participated in the Paint the Town
dependable partner and a “calculated
program through the Southern Minne-
businessman” who works hard to train
sota Initiative Foundation. The program
and support the people who work for him.
offered free gallons of paint for projects
He noted that this extends to Donahue’s
around town such as murals or restoration
personal life, as well.
work. And the store has carried a tradition,
“His business practices are also an exten-
started by the Fillipis, of providing scholar-
sion of how I have seen him as a family
ships to the high school students who work
man, a solid role model for his daughters,”
there.
said Brown.
In response, Donahue’s customers have
The Crooked Pint was another example
IN GOOD COMPANY Joe Donahue was in good company winning the Faribault Chamber’s Service Award; fellow recipients were Suzanne Klumb of Glass Garden Beads, Nancy Jensen of Richie Eye Clinic, and the staffs of Faribault Vacuum & Sewing and Reliance Bank. Donahue isn’t alone nationwide, either. Around the world, there are over 5,000 Ace Hardware stores in 60 countries, the majority of which are operated by local owners.
Faribault Ace Hardware offers everything from riding lawnmowers to greeting cards at its shop on Second Avenue NW. (Anne Kopas/Faribault Daily News)
(Anne Kopas/Faribault Daily News)
of Donahue’s knack for seeing a commu-
connections with customers is Donahue’s
nity need and filling it.
specialty, setting his store apart from larger
“I’ve lived here my whole life, my wife
businesses or online retailers.
has lived here my whole life, and we want
“Customer service is pivotal. It can make
to see Faribault continue to grow. We try
or break a business,” said Casie Steeves of
to do what we can to keep people here, to
the Chamber, who compared service to
give them things they need and want,” said
tourism in that it attracts people to the area
Donahue.
and gives them a reason to stay.
It’s this dedication to the people of
It’s a sentiment shared by Kathryn
Faribault that earned him a 2019 Customer
Donahue, who works with her husband to
Service Award from the Faribault Area
maintain the store’s small-town, every-
Chamber of Commerce. Making personal
body-knows-everybody atmosphere.
“Every day, there’s a lot of new people, but a lot of the same people, so you get to know projects they’re working on or grandkids they’re having, stuff like that,” she said. “It’s not somebody random coming in that you don’t have a connection with.” Though the husband-wife team enjoys this part of the work, it can also make it tough when hard times strike. In March, the store lost longtime employee Ryan Scott Reinfeld, who died suddenly at age 61 after working at Ace Hardware nearly since Donahue’s first day. “It’s like losing a family member,” said Donahue. It’s no surprise, then, that those around Donahue notice and appreciate his bighearted spirit. “He has always been a really kind and graceful person, and he’s offered a lot of advice. He’s just a kind soul, and I encourage people to get to know him,” said Steeves. Donahue has no intention of leaving the store anytime soon, and hopes to continue “as long as our bodies and minds hold up.” After all, he said, if things are going well, why stop? No matter what changes within the store or the world of Faribault business, Donahue intends to maintain his commitment to making people feel like family when they shop. “You’re not just a number when you come here,” he said. “Ace’s slogan is ‘the helpful place,’ and we try to live up to that every day.” Reach Reporter Anne Kopas at 507-333-3148. Follow her on Twitter @NFNanne.
Summer 2019
45
Experience Faribault chassis modifications and unlimited engine modifications. Tickets: 507-334-5130 or visit faribault HD.com At the gate $20 | Pre-sale $15 | Kids under 12 free
Faribault Farmers Market
Adults $8 | Student $4 | Family Pass $20 (2 adults, 2 students) Tickets at the box office or online at paradisecenterforthearts.org
7 a.m.-noon Saturdays through October 1:30-5 p.m. Wednesdays July 10 through September Central Park Find a large variety of local foods and artisanal goods including vegetables, baked goods, fermented vegetables, jams, coffee, eggs, meat, flowers, jewelry, woodworking and personal care products. The market has only vendors from within a 15-mile range. Visit: Faribault Farmers’ Market
July 16-21 Rice County Fairgrounds, Faribault
noon - until June 29 Faribault Harley-Davidson, 2704 Airport Dr. Part of the Grand National Hooligan Championship Series, featuring twin-cylinder motorcycles over 750cc that were once street legal. This class of racing allows for minor
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Summer 2019
“101 Dalmatians Kids” 7 p.m. July 12 and 13 | 4 p.m. July 13 Paradise Center for the Arts, 321 Central Ave. Dalmatian parents, Pongo and Perdita happily raise their
Aug. 10 Downtown Faribault
Relay for Life of Rice County 6 p.m.-until Aug. 2 Rice County Fairgrounds, 1814 Second Ave. NW A fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, Relay for Life is coordinated by local volunteers, many who’ve battled cancer or had a loved one with the disease. The event, which includes music, games and time to remember loved ones lost and honor survivors of all cancers, helps fund cancer research and aids area residents going through treatment. Join a team, donate and come out and support those fighting cancer! Visit: RelayForLife.org/ RiceCountyMN | Relay For Life of Rice County MN on Facebook
Visit: pcabbq.net | Blue Collar BBQ and Arts Festival on Facebook
Fleur-de-lis
A celebration of all things Rice County: from the beautiful summer weather to the 4-Hers and their array of projects to the cotton candy and pronto pups. The Fair, now in its 146th year, returns July 16 for a six-day run, bringing with it rides, entertainment, a beer garden, plenty of animals and exhibitions, and of course the crowning of the county’s royalty, which this year includes girls and guys.
Blue Collar BBQ and Arts Festival The festival, celebrating its 11th year, is a communitysponsored, volunteer-operated event for the Paradise Center for the Arts. This end-of-summer celebration features a familyoriented mix of live music, arts and crafts, barbecue competition, great food and activities for all ages.
Rice County Fair
Visit: ricecountyfair.net
Battle of the Twins flat-track motorcycle races
puppies, until the monstrous Cruella De Vil plots to steal them for her new fur coat! Join all the dogs of London as they daringly rescue the puppies from Cruella and her bumbling henchmen. With a fun score, lovable characters and one of the most deliciously evil Disney villains, this show absolutely “fur-tastic.”
Watch for OUR NEXT issue PUBLISHING IN SEPTEMBER
HAVE AN IDEA OR SUGGESTION? Contact Suzanne Rook at srook@faribault.com TO ADVERTISE: Contact Mark Nelson at mnelson@faribault.com Advertising Deadline is
AUGUST 16
It’s Coming... 7TH ANNUAL
Best 20 19
of
SOUTHERN Minn
Nominating is
June 17th through July 31st go to The Best of SoMinn 2019 at
southernmnscene.com Southern Minnesota is a wide open and gloriously diverse place, full of spectacular events, amazing characters, fantastic food and an abundance of hidden treasures. We want to know what you love best about things down here. This is your chance to sound off about your favorite band, the best burger you’ve ever had, or your favorite place to get away. Nominations are open June 17th through July 31st. The winners will be announced this fall, in our November issue of SoMinn SCENE.
t l u a b i r a F O MINNES
TA
Experiencing American Stories
JULY
16-21 19
Rice County Fair
Downtown Car Cruise Night
AUGUST
8 9 10 16
83rd Annual Pet Parade
Downtown Car Cruise Night
11th Annual Blue Collar BBQ Music & Arts Festival Car Club Showdown Downtown
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